Ways To Save At The Big E

A day at the Big E can mean extreme foods, rides, entertainment and fun.

It can also mean extreme expenses. All those corn dogs, cream puffs, candy apples and Craz-E Burgers, (bacon cheeseburgers sandwiched between two halves of a glazed donut), don't come cheap.

But there are ways to save on admissions and rides, especially if you plan ahead. The more you save before you go, the more money you'll have to spend on refreshments and souvenirs when you arrive.

Advance discount tickets are on sale now at http://www.TheBigE.com, the Big E box office and at Big Y World Class Markets. Adults are $12; children are $8. An advance purchase Midway Magic Pass is $23. (Tickets purchased online have a $1 service fee.)

>>Opening day, Friday, Sept. 12, is "Be A Kid for a Day." Admission at the gates is $10 for all ages.

>>Opening day is also Military Appreciation Day. Free admission for military personnel and dependents or veterans, (no dependents), with valid ID.

>>Value Pass offers unlimited admission for all fair days. Value passes — $40 for adults and $20 for kids ages 6 through 12 — are available online, at The Big E box office and all Big E gates and Big Y World Class Markets.

>>Special admission prices: Six-After-Five —- admission for all ages is $6 when you arrive after 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

>>Mondays through Thursdays are also Senior Days. Admission is $12 for those 60 and older.

>>Kids 5 and younger are free every day.

>>A Midway Magic Pass, $28, is valid for one day's worth of unlimited midway rides any Monday through Friday.

>>Those who buy advance premium reserved seats for xfinity arena free shows at www.tix.com and www.thebige.com also get free admission to the fair. Ticketed shows also include fair admission when purchased in advance of the show date.

The Big E runs from Sept. 12 through 28 on the grounds of Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield. Information: www.thebige.com.